Between Friends and Lovers
by kurama-sweethart
Summary: [AU] [Conspiracy] He had been especially paranoid about his sect since Hughes' death, and the sudden reassignment of two favored subordinates didn't help the situation. [Yuri] [Hints of Royai]
1. Act I: Westward

**Between Friends and Lovers  
**_**By Kurama-sweethart (Moe Shmoe)  
**_**Rating:** PG-13  
**Genre:** Mystery, Romance  
**Warnings:** Alternate Mangaverse, spoilers for the manga and anime, language and yuri.  
**Pairings:** Mentions of one-sided Royai, Consensual Riza Hawkeye x Maria Ross.

* * *

The line between friends and lovers was indeed a fine one, crossed easily if one was not wary of its location. For some, it dwelled in the dark reaches of physical desire, the jump from spiritual attachment to sexual need. For others, it lay psychologically, when one stopped associating another as a friend and started, even to themselves, referring to them as more. Sometimes it was thoughtlessly stepped over, without either party quite aware of the transition. Others, however, would carefully inch over it, calculating every move they made until the line was well behind them.

She took notice the exact day of the occurrence, mindfully and dutifully logging every word and glance exchanged into the dark recesses of her mind. She could call upon the day well, in fact, as if it had just happened moments before.

Lieutenant Hawkeye had a stack of papers in hand, careful as she rounded corners to the Colonel's office. She knew he was still in the break room, sipping down his fifth mug of coffee, but she took in the documents and sat them gingerly on his desk, anyway. It was about that time that the Colonel had made his appearance, shuffling through the door and shooting his lieutenant a sly smile. She had cocked her head in confusion, then, as if wondering when along the line she had crossed it and fallen in love with Roy Mustang.

"Lieutenant?" Maria had intervened then, entering his office and clutching official documents from the Fuhrer to her chest. She mechanically handed them to her, waiting for whatever look was in character for Riza Hawkeye to make when she read the heading of the papers.

She froze, a strange combination of surprise and fury written on her face. "A Reassignment Order?" She asked in a voice too stable for the situation. "To the west?"

"I'm afraid so." Maria answered. "You are to be dispatched in exactly seven days, Lieutenant." The formality made her sick.

At this point Mustang's attention had been piqued, and he approached the two, frowning. "Let me see it." He ordered, and Maria dared not refuse. His dark eyes scanned the paper quickly, and he appeared to age a good decade, his brow furrowed in deep creases. "I'll speak with the Fuhrer, Lieutenant." The Colonel folded the paper and pocketed it. "See if I can pull some strings. That is," he paused to look at her square in the eye, then, as if pleading to her. "If you wish to stay stationed in my jurisdiction."

"Of course, sir." Hawkeye answered, saluting. Maria did the same, and he idly returned it as he stormed out of the office, heading towards the Personal Affairs Bureau.

"Why did they send you to deliver it? Why not Fuery or one of the other Sergeants?" Hawkeye asked darkly, a bit more hostile than she intended, once the Colonel was out of earshot.

Maria smiled softly, pulling the same letter from her own pocket. "Because I've been reassigned, too."

* * *

The seven fated days before the departure of Hawkeye and Ross passed quickly in a blur of formalities and paperwork. There were several documents required to be signed by people of high importance in order to let the reassignment flow smoothly, and while Maria was grateful that the Colonel had handled it all flawlessly; she felt the leaded weight of stress upon her shoulders for every moment that week. There was a tension, too, between she and Hawkeye, as if both were afraid to mention their move for fear that voicing it would cause it to be all the more true.

Regretfully, the Colonel had not been able to pull those strategically placed strings and allow both Hawkeye and Ross to remain stationed in Central. He reported, in a cold, indifferent voice, that the West was suffering from increasing hostility. Apparently, a few underground political groups were stirring up trouble along the Creatan borders. Since the west was a more rural, detached area, it requested high-ranking snipers from Central to aide in its metaphorical crowd control. Both Ross and Hawkeye fit their bill perfectly.

"Lieutenant Ross and I will be stationed within the Jurisdiction of a General Robert B. Stevenson. Apparently, he is a war hero from the Drachmian Border Conflicts, quite respected and known in the West." Hawkeye reported a day before their train left, handing the last bit of paperwork required to finalize their reassignment to the Colonel for his signature. He glared at it as if it were a plague.

"I want you to report to me if either of you see or hear anything suspicious." Mustang repeated for what seemed to Maria like the hundredth time. He'd been especially paranoid about his sect since Hughes' death, and the sudden reassignment of two favored subordinates didn't help the situation. "And I mean _anything _suspicious. Fires, Break Ins-"

"I understand, sir." Hawkeye responded lightly. "We'll be sure to let you know."

Mustang didn't seem convinced but didn't press the issue, nodding and returning the signed reassignment documents back to their respective owners. "Good. You both know how to reach me."

He saluted a dismissal, and both returned it mechanically. As Hawkeye and Ross left to begin packing for their early train departure the following morning, Roy Mustang stood in his office, staring stiffly out his window at the waning sunlight. He smelt something suspiciously like conspiracy.

"Would you like me to help you pack, Lieutenant?" Ross offered in a voice that forced a pleasantness that she wasn't feeling. The two women were heading to the bus stop now, refusing Lieutenant Havoc's offer to drive them both home in the military car.

Hawkeye smiled just as simulated as Ross'. "No thank you, Maria." She replied, digging through her purse for her bus pass. After work hours, formalities were forgotten. "I think I'd just like to go to bed early tonight, get some sleep. You and I have a long few days ahead of us."

"I understand." The brunette said just as the bus pulled up and Riza stepped in. "Goodnight."

* * *

The day of their departure was cold and gray, in which the earthy feel of morning lasted well past the ring of noon. Riza and Maria boarded their train with only their most personal possessions- the Colonel promising to have everything shipped to West City express by the day of their arrival. Black Hayate lay splayed over his owner's lap, nervous and panting from all the travel.

Maria could sympathize.

She stared out the window at the watercolor landscape rushing by, straining her eyes to focus on just one building or mountainous peak. They had been on the train for hours that numbered in the double digits (Maria having lost count quite some time before) and yet they still were just now beginning to see less and less of the familiar urban scene of Central and more and more of rolling hills and vast plateaus that went on until the heavy wall of horizon.

"The conductor says that we will be arriving in West City sometime tomorrow morning." Riza said casually, sitting down by the curled form of Hayate. It was quite a sight, Maria had to agree, to see Riza Hawkeye dressed in anything but a military uniform. But there she was, adorned in a form-fitting blouse and skirt, playing the role flawlessly of a civilian, yet with the same official air of her government status. "He also said that our car should receive a food cart at any moment." She said darkly with a hint of amusement.

"Great, I'm starved." Maria replied sleepily. She never knew traveling could be so tiresome. She leaned over and stroked Hayate awake. Dogs were technically not allowed in the passenger cars, but such was another of the many wonders of Roy Mustang's authority.

Riza laughed again, leaning back against the seat. "Don't get your hopes up. I'm sure it's nothing but peanuts and graham crackers."

Despite their informal conversation and conditions, Hawkeye still had the proper grace that was so expected back in Central. Her voice was still laced with respect and authority, as if they were still in the room with the General. "Ugh. I remember now why I hate traveling." Maria responded bitterly, leaning back as well. "What a nightmare."

She didn't know it, but Hawkeye couldn't have agreed more.

* * *

TBC. Part 1 of many,my first serious yuri fic.

Faves are nice, Reviews are better.


	2. Act II: The Northern War

**Between Friends and Lovers  
_By Kurama-sweethart (Moe Shmoe)  
_Rating:** PG-13  
**Genre:** Mystery, Romance  
**Warnings:** Alternate Mangaverse, spoilers for the manga and anime, language and yuri.  
**Words: **957

* * *

The history books that littered classrooms in Amestris told, in grand detail, the tale of the Ishval Massacre from beginning to end, leaving not a name or date misplaced. Schoolchildren grew up knowing more about the war than they did any other historical accomplishment to date.

Even some adults were ignorant to what went on in West City nearly a decade before anyone even thought about the possibility of an eastern rebellion.

It had started innocently, as most violence does, with a middle class businessman building a warehouse in uninhabited savannah grassland very close to the border between Drachma, Creata and Amestris. West City, then, had very little industry; relying mostly on it's agricultural market to hold it together. The townspeople and officials were very pleased with the decision; hoping it to be a step forward to building a larger economy based on the manufacturing of metals and fuel, and thus had no qualms about expanding their small, rural city as far as country lines allowed.

However, it was just about that time that the Prime Minister of Drachma had been planning on building a rather large trade route from Drachma to Creata through that very area. Quickly, border disputes arose between West City's government and the Drachmian monarchy, which caused several Amestrian military officers to be killed as a result.

Almost a week later, a rally of West City locals brought out their rifles and pitchforks, invading the camp in which the Prime Minister was staying, just over a pass through the foothills of the Briggs Mountain Range. Almost five hundred Drachmian natives were killed in their sleep that night, and almost five hundred more were injured and left to die.

Furious, Drachma declared war immediately, a dispute that would last until well after the Ishval Massacre had seen it's final battle, finally ending when a treaty was signed. The treaty officially declared the location of each nation's borders with explicit attention to latitude coordinates, to prevent dispute in the future. Amestrian Government heard nothing from their northern-border country since, save the occasional caravan crossing the border for exports.

As a result, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Stevenson had been declared military hero during the Western Border Disputes (or as it was officially documented, the Northern War) and promoted to the rank of General for overseeing hundreds of soldiers during more than three-dozen battles.

Now, their only problem was that Creata had decided to follow in the footsteps of Drachma; rebelling against Amestrian officials that were stationed along the far western border and demanding freedom and dignity from the confines of their overbearing ally.

General Stevenson assumed that their new skirmishes were about borderline locations, and in an almost instantaneous decision, sent an urgent SOS to Central. He requested knowledgeable and experienced snipers to assist in keeping the Northern War from repeating itself.

He requested, conveniently, that the officers sent to be hand-chosen by the Fuhrer himself.

* * *

Only a half hour after the departure of Lieutenant Hawkeye and Ross' train, a confidential meeting was held within the Western Headquarters Ballroom. Thirteen of the Western Military's most respected, high-ranking officers sat amongst each other, sipping coffee and mulling over important topics of interest for the month. 

"In two days, two soldiers straight from Central's Border-Defense Bureau will come to join the ranks of Western HQ, taken from under the command of the now deceased Brigadier General Hughes and, as I'm sure most of you remember, war-hero Colonel Roy Mustang." Reported a crisp, pressed General at the head of the table, wiry eyeglasses perched at the tip of his nose.

At the mention of the Brigadier General, a hushed murmur befell them, each having their own story or rumor of his death to relay. Tales of murder, conspiracy and torture danced across the table.

Clearing his throat, the General continued. "And although the eastern cities have been blessed with female officers for almost half a century, these two will be the first women to join the ranks of West City. I expect all of you to treat their presence with respect and dignity, as with any other soldier."

Once again, the other twelve whispered amongst themselves, keeping more vulgar words to nothing but a wordless look of disgust. West City was, and always had been, a infamously conservative area, believing women had no more right to serve than men had to nurse infants.

"I am going to assume," General Robert Stevenson went on, quieting all talk within the ballroom. "That all of you know and understand the situation that required these two to be sent as reinforcements from Central, as well."

Nods of approval swelled throughout, each affirmative accompanied by raised eyebrows and curling lips. "Yes, yes."

"If there isn't anything else," He snapped, directing his eyes to pierce each member of his sect. "You are dismissed."

At the end of the table, one younger officer who had an excuse in his pocket and a salute on his sleeve, stood. "If you don't mind my asking, sir," He began coolly, "I'd like to know the current state of our Jackrabbit Operation."

"The Jackrabbit Operation," The General said haughtily, "Is in full motion and, to date, has been run smoothly by our Defense Bureau."

The colonel smugly sat back down. "Perfect."

* * *

_TBC._

Sorry for the length (or lack thereof) in this chapter, but I despise long chapters with a passion, so I broke this part up into Chapters 2 and 3. The next installment should be posted within this week.


	3. Act III: Rendezvous

**Between Friends and Lovers  
_By Kurama-sweethart (Moe Shmoe)  
_Rating:** PG-13  
**Genre:** Mystery, Romance  
**Warnings:** Alternate Mangaverse, spoilers for the manga and anime, language and yuri.  
**Words:** 1324

* * *

When the two women arrived in West City, the sun was just beginning to set under the range of mountains casting a spectrum of color across the sky. It was noticeably smaller than Central, West City: surrounded instead, not by town and residencies, but by long patterns of field that stretched northward until the border of Creata, the Briggs Mountains painted heavily on the horizon.

"You can see the blockade from here," Lieutenant Hawkeye mused, frowning from where she stood at the platform. Maria slung her bag over her shoulder and followed suit, standing along the railing to peer out over the valley that was to be their new home.

"It's funny," She replied, pointing to the sloping peaks and rolling foothills; "the geography. Cliffs one minute and then fertile and flat farmland the next."

Riza nodded in agreement, squinting into the evening sun. "It is strange."

"Well, we'd better get moving so we can get settled in before dark." Ross yawned, clicking her tongue at Hayate who had been sniffing around the grass. "Come on, boy."

Hawkeye chuckled at how taken her new partner was with the dog and followed, noting the way he trotted cheerfully at Maria's heels.

* * *

The flat was positioned awkwardly on the last floor of a lease building, obviously the roomiest apartment in the complex. Riza pushed through the door boldly, instantly inhaling a thick cloud of mold and the smell of vacancy.

"At least Colonel Mustang wasn't bluffing," Maria said thoughtfully, motioning to their belongings that had been neatly stacked in boxes against the wall.

"That's a surprise," Hawkeye mumbled, opening a window to the crisp evening. "I half expected him to leave them in his office the whole time."

Maria giggled and set about exploring the perimeter of their new home. "Two bedrooms." She called back into the kitchen where Riza was still attempting to make the air breathable.

The rest of the evening rolled along domestically, with both women attempting to prepare a makeshift dinner of dumplings and a frozen chicken. Maria hadn't expected the lieutenant to be as good a cook as she was; but even years of living alone weren't quite enough experience for either of them.

"Danny and I live in the dorms, so we usually just eat in the cafeteria." Maria spat defensively after being accused of burning all the food in their icebox. "I haven't cooked _anything_ since I was fifteen, I don't think."

Riza chuckled and grabbed for her coat. "Why don't we go out? It can't be too hard to find a decent restaurant out here." She suggested, glancing at their trashcan, which was overflowing with food that was blackened and burnt beyond recognition.

Maria grumbled and yawned, but couldn't suppress a grin. "I guess."

* * *

West City was rather slow at the late hour, at least compared to Centrals' bustling nightlife of partygoers and dancers alike. Hawkeye and Ross both found that they rather enjoyed the calm, serene atmosphere and the way that the stars glowed bright. From an untrained eye, it appeared to be a rather nice town- secured by military bases, quiet and more behind-the-scenes.

A place that everyone knew about but really never cared to see.

"Funny how there aren't any industries here," Maria muttered under her breath, looking around curiously at the flourishing restaurants and homes. "It looks just like a cozy rural city to me."

Riza frowned, glancing at a few rather burly men smoking outside a lifeless bar. "And to everyone else."

"Do you know what exactly is going on here?" The brunette prodded curiously, ridiculously soft on the deserted cobblestone street.

Hawkeye frowned, motioning to a small deli that appeared empty. "That looks good. We can pick up some sandwiches for dinner." She seemed to be making a point to ignore Maria's question.

"Sounds good." Ross replied nonchalantly, still puzzled by Riza's blatant move at ignorance.

The two ordered wordlessly, both women glaring at a trio of men sitting in the corner who were tossing muffled catcalls from across the deli. "Don't see two lovelies like that here in West City, huh, Frank?"

"Nope," The man named Frank answered, running a hand over his balding head. "Not wearing stuff like that, you don't." He motioned to the two women's 'casual' attire, which consisted of a silk and velvet.

Maria raised her eyebrows and glanced at Hawkeye, fingering the barrel of the gun on her waist.

"Excuse me," Riza interrupted, pulling her pistol from a holster strapped to her thigh, "But unless you want me to arrest you for harassment, I'd suggest you piss off."

Needless to say, the three left the restaurant rather quickly.

"Impressive," Came a voice from behind them, and both ladies spun around, pistol still held in the palm of Riza's hand. "You two wouldn't happen to be Lieutenants Hawkeye and Ross, would you?"

The man speaking to them was tall and clean, hair graying at the temples and his cheekbones jutting out from under his deeply set, sparkling blue eyes. He too was clad in casual attire, which consisted of slacks and a button-up.

"Who's asking?" Maria replied, clutching their sandwiches in her hands.

"I-" The man began, bowing deeply at the waist, "am General Steven Robertson, at your service."

"Sir!" Both women said in unison, saluting.

The General smiled. "At ease! When did your train arrive?"

"This morning," Riza answered, crossing her ankles. "But I was told we don't start duty until Monday."

Robertson nodded elegantly, and stretched his arms out to his side. "That's right! Get to know the city a little. And if you ever need an escort," he paused to wink at the two. "give a call to my office."

After they had bid their farewells, Riza and Maria made their way back to their apartment. "That was… strange," Ross finally said after three blocks of silence.

"To say the least," Hawkeye replied, carrying their dinner on her hip.

Maria blinked at her, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. "He was charming."

"I don't know," Riza frowned, raising her eyebrows. "He seemed a little… off to me."

"Really?" Ross asked, genuinely surprised. "Well, maybe because you're used to men flirting with you." There was definitely an edge of wistfulness in her voice.

Riza couldn't stifle a loud, appreciative laugh. "I think you're mistaken."

"No, really!" Maria insisted, smiling. "I mean, you're beautiful! There are hardly any women in the military, let alone women who look like you and are _still _single."

This time, it was Hawkeye who was surprised. "You can't be serious."

"Well, I mean, I'm not really someone anyone takes a second glance at," Ross went on, gaze locked on the dark sidewalk. "So I guess I get a little excited at the attention."

"Huh," Riza replied lightly, smiling, and as she said it, her eyes darted to Maria's bust line. "I don't understand what you're talking about. That man was looking at you just as much as he was me,"

"Well, at any rate," Ross continued, a bit uncomfortable at the idea that a man was looking at her, and yet flattered that Hawkeye had noticed her bosom. She decided to let the issue drop. "I felt something off with that General, too. Something…"

"Superficial," Riza finished, biting the side of her lip. "I didn't like the way he greeted us, like putting an impression on us was important. I mean, if he's got such a high rank, he shouldn't be worried about what some lieutenant's think of him."

Maria shrugged. "You don't think he's just friendly?"

"Could be," Hawkeye replied, suddenly fishing for the keys in her handbag as their apartment came into view. "But I think we should be careful, for at least a little while."

Ross nodded, "I agree. For a little while."

* * *

_TBC._

Riza's dialogue hates me.


	4. Act IV: Case of the Shedim

**Between Friends and Lovers  
_By Kurama-sweethart (Moe Shmoe)  
_Rating:** PG-13  
**Genre:** Mystery, Romance  
**Warnings:** Alternate Mangaverse, spoilers for the manga and anime, language and yuri.  
**Words:** 1300

I also wanted to give a special thanks to all my reviewers and those who questioned my spelling. There's no way this fic would be what it is without you guys keeping me on my toes! This is as much your fic as it is mine.

* * *

Maria had known Riza for quite sometime now; they went back quite farther than most suspected. In Central City, where they had both grown up, was an exclusive girls-only military academy, lovingly settled a few miles east of Headquarters. It was run by a stiff, chiseled military woman who had managed to rise in ranks as a General before retiring. Formalities were a requirement, even between close friends. 

While they had never really been in the same social circle, per say, both Ross and Hawkeye had been top of their class and had studied together on more than one occasion.

"Riza?" Maria called, yawning as she shuffled into the common room of their apartment. Even now, calling her by name was something she didn't think she could get used to. "What are you doing up? We have work tomorrow."

She and the other first lieutenant hadn't been close, exactly, but Maria knew her well enough to know that Riza Hawkeye never got less than a full night's rest. "Oh, Maria. Did I wake you?" She responded quietly, nursing a steaming mug of tea.

"Oh, no." Ross responded lightly, slipping into the chair next to her. "I can't sleep either."

Riza smiled, fingers tracing the rim of her mug. "Must be something in the air."

Maria said nothing, watching curiously the way her nimble fingers fiddled with the porcelain, curling around the handle like they were looking for a trigger. For some reason the action made Maria uncomfortable. "I guess I should go try sleeping again. Just wondered if something was wrong-"

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Riza asked suddenly, like she had wanted to say it the whole time. "The colonel, I mean."

Shocked at the sudden question, Maria licked her lips and grinned. "Without you around to make him work, he'll probably take the whole time off."

"I hope not." She replied seriously, but Maria couldn't help but laugh, anyway.

* * *

Western Headquarters was exactly like Central Headquarters: Except flipped. By the time Ross and Hawkeye figured this out, they had spent thirty minutes walking down hallways and arrived by the General's office just in time. 

"Ladies, welcome." General Robertson greeted, ushering them into chairs by his desk. "Glad to see you both up and about so early."

Maria felt slightly awkward, but when she glanced over, Riza was going strong. "You did say to be here by eight, General?"

"Well, I guess I did." Robertson laughed, but Riza didn't look amused. "So, tell me. What sort of things can you ladies do? Paperwork, filing-"

Both women glanced at each other. "I thought we were here to do field work?" Hawkeye asked, her hand twitching.

"Well, technically speaking, yes." The General agreed, "you are both exclusively field officers, unlike your jobs back in Central, I can only assume. However, we have a rather difficult filing system, and both of you will have to log in your work each day. Mandatory things like that, standard procedure, you know."

Maria didn't recall ever having to log anything back in Central, unless she was working a case, but then all of those things didn't go into _any_ sort of logging system- they went straight to the Fuhrer for evaluation. Maybe things were as different here as they were rumored to be.

If that were the case, West City would take a lot of getting used to.

"At any rate, you can learn all about that later. For now, we have an ongoing case that I'd like to assign you to, just to see where you rank at police work." The General finished, pulling a few stapled sheets of paper out of his desk and handing one to each of them

Riza made a face like she was going to protest, but Maria cut her off. "And the nature of the case…?"

"Strange." For a moment, Maria thought that one word was all he was revealing about the case. After a long pause, he continued. "A lot of men aren't willing to take it seriously."

Both women glanced towards each other, frowning. Again, Riza looked like she might say something, but thought better of it. "It involves several disappearances on the Western Border. Twenty-six in the past month, and close to two-hundred overall. But here's the stranger thing. Every single missing person is female."

"And these disappearances started when, exactly?" Riza asked, fingering the papers in her hand.

The General folded his hands atop his desk, looking at them over his wiry eyeglasses. "Not quite six months ago. They started slowly, I suspect because that area is near one of our trade routes, but now are noticeably increasing."

"Twenty-six since the first of this month would make two lost every day." Maria calculated slowly, frowning. "And if the numbers you said are true, then that means that since the first month disappearances have nearly tripled."

The General nodded. "Smart girl. Yes, we have had a disturbing amount of disappearances. At first we put it off on the roads, which are a bit narrow and there are some sharp curves. But we have had many men patrol the area for wrecks or crash sites, and haven't found a one."

"And men aren't willing to take it seriously, because…?" Riza asked sharply, a tone that Maria had only seen her use twice. Once during the Ishval Massacre and once during the rebellion lead by the Ishvalan Refugee camps.

The General didn't seem fazed by her abruptness. Maybe he wasn't quite as off as they had originally thought. "Well, since that area is close to the international border, many Creatan natives have disappeared as well. There, rumors are circulating about kidnappings. Here, many believe that, obviously, Creatan government could be involved. However, these rumors involve a lot of urban myths."

"Which is why men aren't willing to take them seriously? Because they're based around legends?" Maria shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Just what did he take them for, giving them a case based on word-of-mouth?

Riza apparently agreed. "Myths have to start somewhere, right?"

"While this is true, some of the claims are too over the top." The General shuffled through papers on his desk, reading them over his eyeglasses. "Things like, well, human experiments, ghosts and women who are unable to be killed by any modern weapon. Something natives of Creata call 'shedim'."

"We'll be sure to look into it, sir." Riza replied, standing. It was obvious that even though the case could very well be a wild-goose chase for them, her interest was piqued. "When would you like our first report?"

The General folded his hands over the desk once more, smiling. "As soon as you can."

* * *

"This is crazy." Riza said suddenly, leaning over the papers General Robertson had given them. "All the information we have is the area in which the disappearances seem to be centered, although some of them don't fit that pattern, that each victim is a woman ranging from age thirteen to thirty, and that the disappearances are steadily increasing, perfectly figured to the day." 

Maria shrugged. "So where do you propose we start? At the disappearance site?"

"It's our only real lead, so we have to start there." Riza answered truthfully, unfolding a map that the General had included in the documents. "It's only about an hours' drive west from here. We can leave in the morning."

* * *

_TBC._


End file.
